Guide to CS2 Float Values For Buying and Trading Items
CS2 skins vary based on rarity and characteristics, but there’s another system in the game that differentiates identical items from one another: float values. But this also causes confusion among players since it introduces an additional layer of complexity. Let’s take a closer look at in-game float values to better understand item values for Counter-Strike 2.
Understanding Wear Levels and Float Values in CS2
Let’s begin with the basics that we need to understand to make sense of CS2 float values.
Differentiating Between Wear Levels and Categories
Items are assigned wear levels that affect appearance and overall condition. Categories range from Factory New, which is as close to perfect as you can get, to Battle Scarred, which appears heavily scratched or with significant fading.
An item’s condition directly impacts its value in the market. If you have two copies of the AK-47 Slate with differing conditions, one in Factory New condition will have a smooth, solid black finish and fetch a higher price than a Well Worn item with visible metallic scuffs and gray patches.
Making Sense of Float Values
Wear categories give us a more general idea of the item’s condition, but float values are the precise numbers used to represent its state. This number ranges from 0.00 to 1.00, with 1.00 representing the highest degree of wear.
Even when both items are Factory New, they’ll usually still have differing Float Values. If one has a 0.01 float, then it is still statistically rarer than another with a 0.06 float, despite both of them being Factory New.
Correlation Between Wear Level and Float Value
The different wear categories have associated float value ranges. Here’s a breakdown of the float range for each one:
- Factory New: 0.00 - 0.07
- Minimal Wear: 0.07 - 0.15
- Field Tested: 0.15 - 0.38
- Well Worn: 0.38 - 0.45
- Battle Scarred: 0.45 - 1.00
The relationship between Float Values and Wear category is important because it creates unique situations between items. An M4A4 Howl with a Float Value of 0.14 may seem similar to one with a float of 0.15, but because they belong to different Wear Categories, there is a difference in the price. Once you get to 0.16, though, the difference is even greater.
How to Check the Float Values of Your CS2 Skins
While Float Values are somewhat hidden, there are ways to check, and it’s more that they’re out of sight rather than actually kept away from players' eyes. Here are the three primary ways to do that.
Inspecting Items In Game
This is done through the CS2 inventory screen. Right-click an item and select the Inspect option, and you’ll see a 3D model of the item. Click on the small “i” icon at the bottom of the screen, and a data window will appear. Here, you’ll see a Wear Rating section, which shows the numerical float value of your item.
Using Browser Extensions and External Tools
If you use the Steam Community Market often, external tools like inventory checkers are a great time-saving solution, since these load float values and pattern IDs to your market page. This is easier and faster than inspecting each item in-game one by one.
Making Use of Third-Party Databases
The most detailed information on items can be viewed using database websites, where you’ll need to paste your item’s inspection link. Doing this will let you see this item’s global rank and how it compares to every other version of the same skin. This is very important, since a high-ranking item can add hundreds of dollars in value.
How Float Values Impact CS2 Skin Prices
Wear levels and float values are considered the key factors that affect item price, but there’s more to this than just that.
Numerical Rarity and Market Premium
Lower float values don’t just add value to items by increments. Very low floats tend to add a price premium, especially for near-perfect conditions. This makes such items trophy items for high-end inventories and collections.
Visual Quality
Float values directly affect the visibility of the artwork visible on a weapon skin, but some skins are more heavily impacted by visible wear. An AK-47 Vulcan has clean white lines that are easily affected by even slight wear, thus lowering the price more easily.
Unique Patterns
Low float values don’t always result in the highest item price. Some in-game items benefit from increased wear, as items with those conditions reveal hidden textures or color shifts that affect their price.
There are also skins that can’t be obtained at Factory New, so the highest available wear level of that item becomes the most valuable.
Conclusion
CS2 Wear Levels and Float Values seem complicated, but they allow the game to diversify the characteristics of items in a very unique way that other games can hardly replicate. It seems complicated, but it is much easier to understand than what you’d initially expect.
Go over your own inventory and see these systems work for yourself to gain an even better understanding. You might even find a highly valuable item in your own collection while you’re at it.